A Parent's Guide to Kids' Vaccines

By EverydayHealth.com

Vaccines have contributed to a significant reduction in many childhood diseases, such as diphtheria, polio, measles, and whooping cough. It is now rare for American children to experience the devastating effects of these illnesses. Infant deaths due to childhood diseases have nearly disappeared in the United States and other countries with high vaccination coverage. But the germs that cause vaccine-preventable diseases and death still exist, and can be passed on to people who are not protected by vaccines.

Ensuring the safety and effectiveness of vaccines is one of the Food and Drug Administration's top priorities. Vaccines are developed in accordance with the highest safety standards; they must be safe to give to as many people as possible.

Like any medicine, vaccination has benefits and risks, and no vaccine is 100% effective in preventing disease. Most side effects of vaccines are usually minor and short-lived. A child may feel soreness at the injection site or experience a low-grade fever. Serious vaccine reactions are extremely rare, but they can happen. For example, signs of severe allergic reaction can include swelling, itching, weakness, dizziness, and difficulty breathing.

"But parents should also know that the risk of being harmed by a vaccine is much smaller than the risk of serious illness that comes with infectious diseases," says Norman Baylor, Ph.D., Director of the Office of Vaccine Research and Review in FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER). "Vaccination is an important step to get children off to a healthy start."

Vaccines may contain live, attenuated (but weakened) or killed (inactivated) forms of disease-causing bacteria or viruses, or components of these microorganisms. They trigger a response by the body's immune system when injected or given by mouth. Vaccines stimulate the body to make antibodies — proteins that specifically recognize and target the disease-causing bacteria and viruses, and help eliminate them from the body.

CBER is the part of FDA that regulates vaccines in the United States. CBER works with other agencies to study and monitor vaccine safety and effectiveness.

The Pros and Cons of Buying Organic Food for Kids

By Lynn Yoffee
Medically reviewed by Pat F. Bass III, MD, MPH

If you can afford organic food, it may be better for your kids as well as for our environment.

Most of us have faced a dilemma like this: You linger in front of the banana display at the grocery store, trying to decide between the bright yellow, perfect-looking conventional bananas and the spotted organic ones that cost more. What's the right thing to do for your kids?

Your first step: Be an informed consumer. Here's some information that can help.

What Makes a Food Organic?

Organic is a term that identifies how farmers grow and process produce, dairy products, and meat. Farmers who practice organic methods don't use chemicals to fertilize, control weeds, or prevent diseases. Instead they use more natural approaches that help to nurture the soil. They spread mulch to keep weeds at bay and rotate crops to keep the soil free of pests.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Organic Program has established three levels of organic labeling:
A green "USDA organic" seal can be used if the product is 100 percent organic.
Foods labeled "organic" are at least 95 percent organic. Any remaining ingredients must consist of approved non-agricultural substances on a national USDA list, including specific non-organically produced agricultural products that are not commercially available in organic form.
Processed products, such as crackers or canned soup, labeled "made with organic ingredients" must have at least 70 percent organic ingredients.
Other tips to remember:
Any product with less than 70 percent organic ingredients cannot use the term "organic" in the main label or display area of the product, although they can list organic ingredients in a more detailed information panel.
Be aware that foods labeled "all-natural," "hormone-free," and "free-range" are not organic.
Is Organic Food More Nutritious for Kids?
"It's up for debate," says Samantha Heller, MS, RD, former senior clinical nutritionist at New York University Langone Medical Center and host of a nutrition show on Sirius Satellite's station DOCTOR Radio. "There is some preliminary information that perhaps organic has some higher levels of nutrition. Others are saying not so much."

According to Heller, the nutritional value often depends on the distance and time it takes to ship the food. "If you live in New York and buy an apple from Washington State, it won't be as fresh and nutritious as an apple picked in New York State," explains Heller. "What's better is if you can find a local farmer who grows organic. If that’s not feasible, frozen organic food is certainly a great option."

Another problem is the cost of buying all organic. "If you look at the vast majority of people in this country, we are all struggling financially," she adds. "So making a hard recommendation about whether to buy all organic for kids is not realistic."

If you can afford it, Heller recommends at least buying organic dairy, poultry, and produce.

Buying Organic Food: The Pros and Cons
Here are other considerations as you debate the merits of organic vs. conventional food:

The Pros:

Organic farmers are helping save the planet. That's a big reason why people may choose to buy organic food. Organic farmers produce food in ways that are intended to benefit the environment, reduce pollution, and conserve soil and water.Most conventional farmers use pesticides. Washing or peeling the skin of fruits and vegetables can help get rid of pesticides, but it may also decrease the nutrition and fiber found in the otherwise edible peels. Some people choose organic food to completely avoid these chemicals. (Experts currently agree that the small amount of pesticides found on produce is harmless.) The Cons:
Organic food costs more. Farming practices, such as mulching and weeding instead of spraying pesticides, are more expensive and the amount of food produced, called crop yields, is less.Organic food doesn't always look as perfect. Since organic food is not treated with preservatives or sprayed with wax to extend shelf life, the vegetables and fruit may be somewhat oddly shaped. Finally, when it comes to packaged, processed foods such as pasta or cookies, buying organic depends on how much you consume. "If you're buying a lot of prepared foods, you may need to be more careful because we want kids to eat more fruits and vegetables," Heller says. "The pesticide and residue is really evident in prepared foods. Be as thoughtful as you can and focus more on buying locally produced food, which is always the best option."

Last Updated: 02/04/2009
This section created and produced exclusively by the editorial staff of EverydayHealth.com. © 2009 EverydayHealth.com; all rights reserved.

Selecting a Day-Care Center

By Diana Rodriguez

If you notice these warning signs, stay away.

A nearly universal rite among working parents is to anxiously mull over the choice of a day-care center.

If you're in the midst of deciding where your youngster should spend the day while you work, here are warning signs that a particular facility may not be appropriate, courtesy of the American Academy of Family Physicians:

Day-care workers won't or can't answer questions, and don't respond to your requests or concerns.
Parents aren't allowed to participate in daily activities with their children.
Your child doesn't like going to a particular facility.
Frequent accidents or injuries without adequate explanation.Frequent turnover among staff.
Negative feedback or experiences from other parents.

Learn more in the Everyday Health Kids’ Health Center.

Last Updated: 03/03/2008
Copyright © 2009 ScoutNews LLC. All rights reserved.

Potty-Training Pointers

By Madeline Vann, MPH
Medically reviewed by Pat F. Bass III, MD, MPH

Like most good things, potty training takes time. The key to success is paying attention to your child's signals of readiness.

Your child is starting to use the potty. Images of never changing or paying for another diaper dance in your head. But then there are the setbacks — the accidents. Don't despair. Potty training will happen, but only at your child's pace.

When to Begin Potty Training
Correctly identifying your child's readiness for potty (or toilet) training is key to success. It's best not to rush this: At least one study showed there is little benefit in getting serious about potty training before your toddler is 27 months of age, and getting an early start doesn't mean an early finish.

"In general, parents should begin looking for signs of interest around the ages of 2 to 3," says Rebecca Dingfelder, PhD, associate professor, Duke Child and Family Study Center, Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C. Dr. Dingfelder and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) say it's best to start potty training when your child:
Can stay dry for several hours at a time
Lets you know when they have urinated or had a bowel movement
Has bowel movements on a more regular basis
Communicates to you that he'd like to use the potty
Follows simple instructions
Can go to the potty, sit down, and get up on his own
Has the muscle control needed to get to the potty in time
Pulls down his training pants on his own
Potty Training 101
The AAFP suggest getting a potty chair for your toddler so that he can become familiar with it before he starts potty training.
Once you see signs of readiness, Dingfelder recommends "having a talk with your child about how you are going to work together to start to use the potty. Pick a specific day to start, preferably a day when you will have all day to spend with the child."

Take your child to the bathroom every hour or so, says Dingfelder. "If [he is] able to go to the bathroom, praise [him] with statements like, 'That is great. You should be so proud of yourself.' If [he doesn't] go, just say, 'That is okay, we will just try again later. You are doing a wonderful job trying.'"

There will be accidents along the way, but "it is important that parents not use shame or anger in response to these accidents, as it will likely add anxiety to the potty-training process and increase the time it takes to help the child be fully potty trained," says Dingfelder.

Potty Training: The Real World
Gainesville, Fla., resident Kristin Stevens, mother of two, says her approach is more laid-back than that of many parents. "All of my first child's friends potty-trained before he did, and I tried to encourage him by saying 'so-and-so's using the potty.' That didn't work, so I actually backed off." But, after becoming pregnant with her second child, Stevens wanted to get his potty training completed. So when he was 3 1/2, she began offering him "poo presents" — inexpensive rewards for successfully using the toilet. That approach worked.

Stevens took a different course with her second child. "We had a potty in the bathroom that she was welcome to use. She even showed an interest at 1 1/2. Later we encouraged her to 'go pee.' Sometimes she would and sometimes she wouldn't," recalls Stevens. Over time, her daughter passed potty training with flying colors. "She was done by 2 1/2. We didn't really have to pressure her."

While boys and girls usually show the readiness signs at similar ages, girls often will complete toilet training sooner than boys. It's important to remember, though, that every child is unique. Potty training might be more on the child's timetable than yours, but take comfort in knowing it will eventually be mastered.

Learn more in the Everyday Health Kids' Heath Center.

Last Updated: 02/04/2009
This section created and produced exclusively by the editorial staff of EverydayHealth.com. © 2009 EverydayHealth.com; all rights reserved.

How to Get Picky Eaters to Try New Foods

By Lynn Yoffee
Medically reviewed by Pat F. Bass III, MD, MPH

With a little patience and some tried-and-true tips, you can coax toddlers into a world of healthy food.

Almost every family has a story to tell about toddlers and their eating discoveries and habits. Some children are happy to try new things, while others make mealtime a major challenge for their parents by refusing to stray beyond the few foods they'll allow to touch their plates. If you have a toddler who falls into the picky eaters category, don't despair — there are some strategies you can try to broaden his food boundaries.

"A lot of time it has to do with what the parents or caregivers are feeding the toddlers when they started eating solid food," says Samantha Heller, MS, RD, former senior clinical nutritionist at New York University Langone Medical Center's Outpatient Cardiac Rehabilitation & Prevention Nutrition program and host of a live nutrition show on Sirius Satellite's new station DOCTOR Radio.

"For example, the Gerber Feeding Infants and Toddlers survey found that the vegetable most consumed by little ones was french fries," Heller says. "That is about the time when children's taste preferences begin to develop. Giving toddlers who are 1 to 3 years old cookies, hot dogs, french fries, and other junk food can create taste preferences for those foods that are high-salt, high-fat, and high-sugar."

Heller explains that babies are born with a taste for sweet things because breast milk is sweet. Over time, the taste for bitter or sour develops. Broccoli may be too strong for a 2-year-old toddler, but it depends on the parents too.

"Worldwide, children in China grow up having vegetables and rice, fish, or tofu for breakfast and they don't feel deprived that they don't get sugar-frosted, honey-dipped cereal," Heller says. "Children in India eat curry from a very young age. Think internationally."

Expose Toddlers to a Variety of Foods

Heller says that it's best to introduce a variety of foods as soon as a toddler starts eating solid food. Getting a toddler to try the new foods doesn't have to be a war either.

"One thing to remember is that unless we have interfered by giving toddlers junk and pushing them to eat when they're not hungry, they are good at regulating their intake. Sometimes you have to let the picky eater be picky. It may take 10 to 15 exposures to a new food for a child to try it."

Tips and Tricks for Feeding Picky Eaters
Here are some positive ways to get your toddler to give healthy foods a try, as suggested by Heller and the American Academy of Pediatrics:
Don't make a big deal out of healthy food.Allow your toddler to help choose healthy foods. Give him three options and allow him to choose one.Make fun shapes and forms with food. Vegetables can be easily arranged into a clown face, for example.Let kids dip. Use spreads like cottage cheese, peanut butter, or low-fat salad dressings with vegetables and fruits.Never make eating a punishment. For example, don't tell a toddler he can't have dessert until he finishes his meal.Set a good example. "You can't have parents eating unhealthy food and then expect the toddler to eat something different. They'll notice and wonder why," Heller says.Avoid juices, sweetened drinks, or snacks too close to mealtime.Get over a food jag. If your child likes only one food, meal after meal (known as food jags), let him have it. But be sure to offer other foods at every meal before that favorite food is presented. Food jags don't cause harm and typically don't last very long.If your child goes on an eating strike, let it happen. Set limits, be supportive, and don't be scared to let your toddler go hungry.Give new foods a try. Put a small portion of a new type of food on the toddler's plate. She doesn't have to eat it, but keep putting it on her plate so that she becomes more familiar with the new, healthy food. Over time, she'll eventually give it a try. Keep these pointers in mind as you work to coax picky eaters to indulge in healthy options.

Learn more in the Everyday Health Kids' Heath Center.

Last Updated: 02/04/2009
This section created and produced exclusively by the editorial staff of EverydayHealth.com. © 2009 EverydayHealth.com; all rights reserved.

Toddler Gone Wild!

By Claire McCarthy, M.D, Parenting.com

Q. My toddler screams and bites like nobody's business. Is this normal, and how can I stop it?

It's probably normal. Lots of little kids go through a phase of acting out physically, especially when they haven't learned enough words to communicate their frustration easily. My 2-year-old, Liam, is going through this now.

There are some things you can do to help your son get through this phase more quickly -- and help you survive it:

React quickly and firmly. Immediately say "No biting" in a calm, stern voice. Take him to a quiet place where he can calm down.

Be consistent. I know it's hard, but if you let him bite sometimes because you're too worn out to deal with it, he assumes that biting is okay -- and will continue.

If he's just screaming, ignore him. Show him that's not the way to get your attention.

Give positive feedback for stopping. If he manages to calm himself down, let him know how proud you are of him.

Watch for triggers. Does he get out of control more often when he's tired? Hungry? (Both are true for Liam.) If so, try to make sure he gets enough sleep and eats regularly. And try to plan around his most difficult times. If late afternoons are impossible, for instance, don't run errands or make play-dates then.

Distract him. This is one of the key survival strategies for toddlerhood. When he starts working himself up, quickly step in with something that's a favorite, or just unexpected ("Hey! Let's do the Chicken Dance!"). You'll be amazed how often it works.